• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.115-121
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• 2007

A novel hydrogen fermentation technique by using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) gel beads as a biomass carrier was investigated. The hydrogen gas was stably produced throughout the experimental period in a continuous reactor. Even though the hydrogen productivity was suddenly decrease by experimental troubles, the bacteria attached to the PVA gel beads played as an inoculum, it was promptly recovered. The hydrogen yield per glucose was not very high ($1.0-1.2mol-H_2/mol-glucose$), thus the optimization of the experimental conditions such as ORP and HRT should be considered to improve the hydrogen productivity. Bacterial community was stable during experimental period after the PVA gel beads applying, which indicated that applying of biomass carrier was specific to keep not only the biomass but also the bacteria commonly. Clostridium species were phylogenetically detected, which suggested that these bacteria contributed to the hydrogen production in the biofilm attached to the PVA gel beads.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.399-404
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• 2010

A hydrogen-producing bacterium (strain ES392) was isolated from pond water located in the Dong-Eui University, Busan, Korea. The cell was long-rod type ($1.4\;{\mu}m$) of about ($0.6\;{\mu}m$) in diameter, and not formed flagellum and spore. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA sequence and biochemical studies indicated that ES392 belonged to the genus Enterobacter sp. The optimum pH and temperature for hydrogen production was 7.5 and $35^{\circ}C$, respectively. The optimization of medium compositions which maximize hydrogen production from Enterobacter sp. ES392 was determined. As a result, the maximum hydrogen production was obtained under the conditions of 4% (w/v) sucrose, 0.5% (w/v) yeast extract and 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.5). Under batch culture conditions, the maximal hydrogen production and yield were obtained as 3481 mL/L and 1.33 mol/mol sucrose, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.400-406
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• 2012

To improve the hydrogen yield from biological fermentation of organic wastewater, a co-culture system of dark- and photo-fermentation bacteria was investigated. In a pure-culture system of the dark-fermentation bacterium Clostridium butyricum, a pH of 6.25 was found to be optimal, resulting in a hydrogen production rate of 18.7 ml-$H_2/l/h$. On the other hand, the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides could produce the most hydrogen at 1.81mol-$H_2/mol$-glucose at pH 7.0. The maximum specific growth rate of R. sphaeroides was determined to be 2.93 $h^{-1}$ when acetic acid was used as the carbon source, a result that was significantly higher than that obtained using either glucose or a mixture of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Acetic acid best supported R. sphaeroides cell growth but not hydrogen production. In the co-culture system with glucose, hydrogen could be steadily produced without any lag phase. There were distinguishable inflection points in a plot of accumulated hydrogen over time, resulting from the dynamic production or consumption of VFAs by the interaction between the dark- and photo-fermentation bacteria. Lastly, the hydrogen production rate of a repeated fed-batch run was 15.9 ml-$H_2/l/h$, which was achievable in a sustainable manner.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.6-12
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• 2013

TFormic acid-hydrogen peroxide (or performic acid) pulping process needs milder reaction condition than other chemical pulping process. Two-step formic acid-hydrogen peroxide pulping process can produce the chemical pulp with similar pulp yield and lignin content compared with soda-anthraquinone process. Formic acid-hydrogen peroxide pulp can be produced less xylan content than other alkaline pulps, which favor for dissolving pulp production. Formic acid-hydrogen peroxide pulp showed better response beating than soda-anthraquinone(AQ) pulps with reaching target freeness with less beating. Also, formic acid-hydrogen peroxide pulp had better tensile index at similar freeness level compared with soda-AQ pulps.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.581-586
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• 2023

As the development of alternative energy is required due to the depletion of fossil fuels, interest in the use of hydrogen energy is increasing. Hydrogen is a promising clean energy source with high energy density and can lead to the application of environmentally friendly technologies. However, due to difficulties in production, storage, and transportation that prevent the application of hydrogen-based eco-friendly technology, research on reforming reactions using dimethyl ether (DME) is being conducted. Unlike other hydrocarbons, DME is attracting attention as a hydrogen carrier because it has excellent storage stability and transportability, and there is no C-C bond in the molecule. The reaction between DME and steam is one of the reforming processes with the highest hydrogen yield in theory at a temperature lower than that of other hydrocarbons. In this study, a hydrogen reforming device using DME was developed and a catalyst prepared by supporting Cu in alumina was put into a reactor to find optimal hydrogen production conditions for supplying hydrogen to fuel cells while changing reaction temperature (300-500℃), pressure (5-10 bar), and steam/carbon ratio (3:1 to 5:1).

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.528-534
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• 2006

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the optimal operating condition for the hydrogen production by biogas reforming using the plasmatron induced thermal plasma. The component ratio of biogas($CH_4/CO_2$) produced by anaerobic digestion reactor were 1.03, 1.28, 2.12, respectively. And the reforming experiment was performed. To improve hydrogen production and methane conversion rates, parametric screening studies were conducted, in which there are the variations of biogas flow ratio(biogas/TFR: total flow rate), vapor flow ratio($H_2O/TFR$: total flow rate) and input power. When the variations of biogas flow ratio, vapor flow ratio and input power were 0.32~0.37, 0.36~0.42, and 8 kW, respectively, the methance conversion reached its optimal operating condition, or 81.3~89.6%. Under the condition mentioned above, the wet basis concentrations of the synthetic gas were H2 27.11~40.23%, CO 14.31~18.61%. The hydrogen yield and the conversion rate of energy were 40.6~61%, 30.5~54.4%, respectively, the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide($H_2/CO$) was 1.89~2.16.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.362-367
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• 2006

Waste activated sludge(WAS) collected from domestic wastewater treatment plant is biomass that contains large quantities of organic matter. However, relevant literature show that the bio-hydrogen yield using WAS was too low. In this study, the effect of pretreatment of WAS on hydrogen yield was investigated. Pretreatment includes acid and alkali treatments, grinding, heating, ozone and ultrasound methods. After pretreatment organic matters of WAS were solubilized and soluble chemical oxygen demand(SCOD) was increased by 14.6 times. Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of pre-treatment methods and buffer solution, hydrogen partial pressure, and sodium ion on hydrogen production from WAS by using heated anaerobic mixed cultures. Experimental results showed that addition of buffer solution, efficient pre-treatment method with alkali solution, and gas sparging condition markedly increased the hydrogen yield to 0.52 mmol $H_2/g$-DS.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of thermal pre-treatment on bio-hydrogen from food waste. Two continuous reactors operated and VFAs(volatile fatty acids) production and microbial communities were analyzed. The average hydrogen yield was 0.50 and 0.33mol $H_2/mol$ $hexose_{added}$ in thermally treated food added reactor(R1) and control(R2), respectively. Butyrate concentration was similarly 7,500mg/L in both reactors, but two times higher lactate concentration was observed in R2(3,800mg/L). The results of FISH(fluorescence in situ hybridization) showed that the relative microorganism to hydrogen producing bacteria was 78 and 27% in R1 and R2, respectively.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.438-442
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• 2005

Batch experiments were performed to investigate the effects of volumetric mixing ratio(v/v) of two substrates, food wastes(FW) and waste activated sludge(WAS). In batch experiments, optimum mixing ratio for hydrogen production was found at $10{\sim}20$ v/v % addition of WAS. CSTR(Continuous Stirred tank reactor) was operated to investigate the hydrogen productivity and the microbial community under various HRTs and volumetric mixing ratio(v/v) of two substrates. The maximum yield of specific hydrogen production, 140 mL/g VSS, was found at HRT of 2 day and the volumetric mixing ratio of 20:80(WAS:FW). The spatial distribution of hydrogen producing bacteria was observed in anaerobic fermentative reactor using fluorescent in situ hybridization(FISH) method.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.326-332
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• 2011

The authors examined the effects of operating parameters on the $H_2$ production by dark fermentation of the wastewater generated from food waste recycling facilities, in short "food waste wastewater (FWW)". Central composite design based response surface methodology was applied to analyze the effect of initial pH (5.5-8.5) and substrate concentration (2-20 g Carbo. COD/L) on $H_2$ production. The experiment was conducted under mesophilic ($35^{\circ}C$) condition and a heat-treated ($90^{\circ}C$ for 20min)anaerobic digester sludge was used as a seeding source. Although there was a little difference in carbohydrate removal, $H_2$ yield was largely affected by the experimental conditions, from 0.38 to 1.77 mol $H_2$/mol $hexose_{added}$. By applying regression analysis, $H_2$ yield was well fitted based on the coded value to a second order polynomial equation (p = 0.0243): Y = $1.78-0.17X_1+0.30X_2+0.37X_1X_2-0.29X_1{^2}-0.35X_2{^2}$, where $X_1$, $X_2$, and Y are pH, substrate concentration (g Carbo. COD/L), and hydrogen yield (mol $H_2$/mol $hexose_{added}$), respectively. The 2-D response surface clearly showed a high inter-dependency between initial pH and substrate concentration, and the role of these two factors was to control the pH during fermentation. According to the statistical optimization, the optimum condition of initial pH and substrate concentration were 7.0 and 13.4 g Carbo. COD/L, respectively, under which predicted $H_2$ yield was 1.84 mol $H_2$/mol $hexose_{added}$. Microbial analysis using 16S rRNA PCR-DGGE showed that $Clostridium$ sp. such as $Clostridium$ $perfringens$, $Clostridium$ $sticklandii$, and $Clostridium$ $bifermentans$ were main $H_2$-producers.